Sharp freezing container



AUS- 4, 1931 ."G. coPEMAN 1,817,545

SHARP FREEZING CONTAAINER Filed Feb'. l. 1929 9 o INVE TOR.

ATTORNEY.

lPaten-ted Aug. 4, 193.1-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COIEE'MIAN, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 COPEMAN LABORATORIES COMPAN?, F FLINT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION -OIMICHIGAN SHARP FREEZING CONTAINER Application illed February 1, 1929. Serial No. 336,889.

This invention relates to sharpl freezing containers, and has to do particularly with that type of sharp freezing container formed ofrubber or other material to which ice des not readily adhere. Heretofore, as fully set forth in my Patent No..1`,675y,599, sharp freezing'containers or rubber trays for domestic refrigerators have been formed o f rubber or other flexible lo' material, 'and some of tnese trays have been formed entirely of rubber -of sufficient rigidit? to stand up, andothers have been formed o very thin rubber or separate -individual rubber containers reinforced by suitable metal containers. Such sharp freezing containers have proven very satisfactory in most all types of domestic refrigerators, but in a few refrigerators diiiculty has been experi' enced in effecting freezing of the ice cubes. zo A great many details-enter into this transfer of heat to freeze the ice cubes, but the fact e remains that in some types of refrigerators the freezing period is unduly prolonged.

It is the object of the present invention to as provide a sharp freezin unit. which will greatly facilitate the freezing of the ice cubes and thus greatly decrease the time of freezing of a tray of water. This novel result is accomplished by combining a iexible or rubber tray with a standard metal sharp freezing tray. More specifically, the present invention contemplates the provision of a sharp freezing container formed into` a plurality of compartments for defining the ice cubes, the

greater portion ofthe surface area of such compartments being formed of rubber or other material to which ice does not readily,

adhere, and the remaining surface area of each compartment being formed of metal or .other high heat conducting material.

By the provision of such container, it will be obvious that the walls of each' ice cube compartment tvill be such as to effect comparatively easy removal of the ice cubes, but a portion of the wall will be such as to readily conduct heat units so as to materially increase lthe rapidity of freezing of the ice cubes. While the removal' of the ice cubes will not be as easy or perhaps'as quick as where the entire unit is ormed of rubber, or

similar material, yet the iexibility of. the walls will permit such, easy 'removal of the ice cubes that the time gained in freezing will offset anydiiculty that might be en-Y Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through-the base of the tray and illustrating ahmodied manner of inserting the metal disc in the bottom of the compartment.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but i1lustrating a" further modification of the metal heat transmitting means and manner of inserting the same in the tray.

The sharp 'freezing compartments in-various domestic refrigerators vary within wide l limits, both as to dimensions and refrigerat-y ing capacity.A In addition to this variation,

there are different requirements as to the size and number of ice cubes to be formed in each sharp freezing compartment. It will therefore e understood that the sharp freezing container, 'as embodied -in the present invention, may be widely varied in design' yand construction without departing from the invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of only one type of sharp freezing container. .This container," which is generally designated 1, is preferably formed of rubber which is relatively iexible. In the figure, the Walls are shown'as being relatively thick whereby. the unit maybe inherently rigid, but it will -be understood that such walls may vary greatly inthickness and -that a metal reinforcing container may be utilized to reinforce the rubber trays a'nd'maintain the same in operative position. Whatever may be the thickness and ar rangement of the flexible walls of rubber or other material, I prefer to form the side wallsQ of each ice cube compartment of this material as well as a portion 3 of the bottom walls. In each bottom wall of each compartment I preferably mold an insert 4 of a metal preferablyof relatively high heat conductivity. This metal insert 4 may be molded into the lower wall of each compartment, as shown in Fig. l, or may consist of two parts as shown at 5 and 6in Fig. 4, and such two parts secured together by means of a suitable screw 7 or other suitable fastening means.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 it will be understood that the edges of the aperture for receiving the disc 5 and 6 may be molded or they may be squeezedtogether in the assembling of the disc. The point is that the metal insert 4 in the bottom of each compartment extends through the wall, and in fact forms a part of the bottom wall of each compartment, with the result that rapid transference of heat units is effected between the sharp freezing unit and the water or other liquid within each compartment.

It will be understood that theinserts 4 may vary in size and thickness in accordance with the ice cube compartments and in accordance with the desi/gn of the particular sharp freezing unit and its refrigerating capacity. If the sharp freezing unit is such as to maintain a relatively low temperature, then of course, the metal insert may be relatively small, or if the sharp freezing unit is provided with a metallic shelf which supports the entire bottom of the tray,

- then ofcourse, the heat units will 'be transferred more quickly and a relatively small metal insert would be used in this case. The main point is that the greater part of the surface area of each ice cube compartment is formed of a material to which ice does not readily adhere, and preferably a flexible material such as rubber, while aV relatively smallportion of the surface area of each compartment is formed of material of relatively highl conductivity extending through the wall thereof. y

' I'n the modification shown in Fig. 5, instead of the complete insert or disc extending all the way through the bottomlwall of the tray, Ihave shown a disc as being molded in the bottom of the tray and a plurality of small rivets extending upwardly through the remainder of the wall. These small rivets will serve to greatly increase the transference of heat units, and being separated as shown, they will only contact with the ice at spaced points, with the result that the removal of the ice will be somewhat easier than where the entire surface of the disc is exposed. In 5, I have shown a single individual ice cube container 8, a plurality of which may be inserted in a suitable reinforcing container. Otherwise, the construction is the same as shown in the other figures.

Inoperation, water or other liquid may be poured into the tray and the same, with or without an outside container, inserted in the sharp freezing chamber of the low side. The metal inse'rt will greatly accelerate the transference of heat units whereby even with a low refrigerating capacity, the cubes will be formed within af relatively short time.4 As the tray l is preferably formed of rubber or other flexible material, the entire unit may be. given a twist so as to loosen the cubes from the metal inse ts or, if desired, to re-` move only an indivi' ual cube. The bottom and side walls of the trays adjacent suchl cube may be distorted so as to readily eject the same. Inasmuch as the ice cube will not adhere to the greater part of the surface area of each compartment, it will be a relatively easy matter to distort the cube from the disc in the bottom of the compartment, whereas it would be a rather di'Hicult matter to remove the ice cube if one or more of the side walls were formed of metal, in addition to the bottom wall. Evemif the side walls of the tray were relatively rigid, it will be obvious thatit would be a relatively easy mat- .ter to remove the ice cube because it would refrigerating system, comprising walls fois defining the shape and size of the article or articles to be frozen, at least a portion ofthe surface area of said walls being formed of a material towhich ice does not readily adhere, and an insert of relatively high heat conducting material in the bottom wall to assist in the transmission of heat for accelerating the freezing of the article or articles.'

2. A` sharp freezing container of the type adapted to be positioned in heat conducting relation with the cooling unit of a mechanical refrigerating system, comprising walls for defining the shape and size of the article or articles to. be frozen, said wa'lls being formed of rubber, and one of the walls being provided with a metal insert for increasing the transmission of heat units for accelerating the freezing of the article on articles.

3. A sharp freezing container of the type adapted to be positioned in heat conducting relation with the cooling unit of a mechanical refrigerating system, comprising walls for defining the shape and size of the article or articles to be frozen, said walls being formed of a flexible elastic material, and one of the walls being provided with a metal insert for increasing the transmission of heat units for accelerating the freezing of the article or articles.

4. An integral sharp freezing container of the type adapted to be positioned in heat conducting relation with the cooling unit of a mechanical refrigerating system, comprising a series'of compartments for forming ice cubes and the like, the Walls of said compartments' being formed at least in part of a flexible material to which ice does not readily adhere, one of the Walls of each compartment being fabricated to eHect-a relatively greater conductivity than the other Walls. t

5. A sharp freezing container of the type adapted to be positioned in heat conducting relation With the cooling unit of a mechanical refrigerating system, comprising Walls for defining the shape and size of the article or articles to be frozen, the greater portion of the surface area of said Walls being formed of a material to which ice does not readily adhere, and an insert of relatively high heat f conducting material in one of said Walls to assist in the transmission of heat for accelerating the freezing of the article or articles.

6. A tray for refrigerating apparatus having integrally formed partitions for dividing the tray into compartments, the greater portion of said Walls being formed of a nonmetallic flexible material and one of the walls of each compartment being fabricated to eect a relatively greater conductivity than the other Walls.

7.' A container for refrigerating apparatus having an outer Wall formed of rubber and partitions formed of rubber for dividing the container into compartments, one of the Walls Hof each'compartment being provided with an insert of relatively high heat conducting material.

8. A container for refrigerating apparatus, comprising an integrally molded outer wall and partitions for dividing the same into compartments, said Walls Abeing formed mainly of a non-metallic flexible material, and the .bottom of each compartment being fabricated to effect a relatively greater conductivity than the other walls.

In testimony whereof I aiX my si a'ture.

LLOYD G. COPE AN. 

